Lebogang Mothiba may not be that well known in South African soccer circles, but he hopes to change all of that when he turns out for the SA Under-23 side at the Rio Olympics.
The 20-year-old Mothiba is the third-last player to arrive in camp for the Under-23s in Brasilia ahead of Thursday’s opener against hosts Brazil at the Mané Garrincha Stadium (9pm SA time kickoff), after completing pre-season training with French club Lille.
Coach Owen da Gama is now only awaiting Kaizer Chiefs duo Itumeleng Khune and Erick Mathoho, who turned out for the club against Orlando Pirates on Saturday and are expected in Brasilia on Wednesday.
But it is Mothiba who could become an overnight sensation for the South African football public. He recently signed a three-year contract with French Ligue 1 side Lille, having joined their youth ranks in 2014 already from the Diambars Football Academy in Boksburg, where he was playing in the fourth-tier SAB League.
A big, bustling striker, Mothiba caught the eye of Da Gama by scoring a brace on debut against Tunisia last year, and made the cut for the Olympics. But in his last game – ironically against Brazil in March – he believed that he could’ve scored even more than a single goal in a 3-1 defeat, and hopes to show his true worth when it counts on Thursday.
“As a striker, I want to bring some influence to the team. My last game for the Olympic team was the loss to Brazil and I scored in that match. I believe that playing in the opening match will be a chance for me to redeem myself, as I had many chances that I did not convert on the day,” Mothiba told the SA Football Association website on Monday.
“I need to make sure that I become more lethal in front of goals for the team to have any chance of success in the tournament. In football, when your team scores goals, you stand a better chance of winning a match.”
It will be interesting to see who Da Gama fields upfront against Brazil, with the other striker contenders being Tashreeq Morris, Menzi Masuka and Tyrone Sandows – who might have the edge on the others as he is based in Brazil at Gremio and is familiar with the conditions and the opposition.
Sandows is known for his skill and pace, so he could complement someone like Mothiba in trying to break down the Brazilian defence, along with playmaker Keagan Dolly as an attacking midfielder.
“I am very happy to have graduated to the senior team (at Lille), but for now my focus is with the national team, and I am happy to be here in Brasilia. Playing in the Olympic Games is a great honour and I am grateful to be in the team,” Mothiba said.
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